PROPER pub grub, cold beer, live music and exceptional customer service are what makes the Exchange Hotel Kerang the place to be.
Publicans Rob and Caitlin Sutterby had very little hospitality experience when they purchased the Exchange Hotel in 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic. But after a somewhat rocky start full of lockdowns and renovations, the pub was officially opened just more than two years ago on March 24, 2021.
“We wanted to get a business we could get in to and make it ours,” Mr Sutterby said.
“The problem with a lot of pubs is that they are already running, and you sort of can’t change much because then you alienate your customer base, whereas this gave us the opportunity to make our own customer base and sort of do it the way we wanted to do it from the start.”
Being younger publicans themselves, Mr Sutterby said they try to cater more towards the 18-40 year old demographic, which people seem to have responded well too.
“I’m generally a pretty extroverted person, I like talking to people, and Caitlin loves providing – we get our enjoyment out of people who are enjoying our services and products,” he said.
“And because we have a young family ourselves, we also try and keep it as family friendly as we can, which people seem to really enjoy.”
The Exchange Hotel offers a seasonal menu with rotating daily and weekly specials, as well as offering catering packages and takeaway meals. They pride themselves on using locally sourced food as much as possible.
Sunday afternoons during summer at the Exchange are spent with live music, as well as Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year.
The Exchange also boasts one of the largest function rooms in Kerang, able to seat around 100 people.
